heart of stone

Date: 6/14/2019

Walking to school on a cloudy day. Winding through the suburban kingdom. Kicking dew up from the green lawns of neighbors still dormant in their dwellings. I come to a turn in the smooth sidewalk, and a glitter arrests my gaze. Bending and reaching, I snatch a piece from between breezy bushes. Now in my palm is a heart-shaped stone, polished and smooth. Set center in its granite is a sparkling sapphire. Thoughtfully I study my little treasure, while in the distance a school bell tolls. ••• In the schoolyard, I stroll quietly--minding the cracks in the walkway. My head is down but my mind is up in those grand, rolling clouds. And suddenly in my view, I find a pair of scuffed and spotted shoes. I raise my head and there you are in all your glory. The rock rolled up in my palm pulses softly. And cupped in your hands is a stone to match my own—a rich ruby glowing at its core.